This invention relates to insulating structures, and, more particularly, relates to insulating covers and methods for fluid conduits.
Insulating bags, cases and containers have heretofore been suggested and/or utilized (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,237,838, 5,490,396, 5,472,279, 5,638,979, 5,820,268, 5,857,778, 5,660,476, 5,403,095, 4,679,242, 4,537,313, 5,265,960 and 4,889,252, for example). Such articles have met with varying degrees of success and utilization, but have not always been adequate to specific or varied tasks (i.e., lacking versatility) and/or have been overly expensive. Simpler, less expensive, insulating articles and/or more complex materials have both been suggested (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,595,320, 6,007,245 and 4,581,285) for specific applications but not across a range of applications and/or at reasonable expense.
In particular, for some applications no insulative solution has been heretofore suggested for keeping materials at a desired temperature. For example, the fluid in the supply tube of a typical hydration pack (i.e., fluid in transit between the storage bladder and the dispensing mouthpiece) is exposed to ambient, sometimes for extended periods. The consequence is that the first sip a user takes after such exposure is usually unsatisfying and/or distasteful, particularly when exposed to warming in the tube. In the case of cold exposure, the fluid may actually freeze in the tube thus blocking dispensing.
It would thus be desirable to provide insulating covers, materials and/or containers that are simple and inexpensive to produce, including material construction that is versatile across a range of structures and applications. In particular, it would be desirable to provide such a cover applicable for use with the liquid supply tube in a hydration pack assembly.
This invention provides an insulating cover and method for fluid conduits, and is particularly well adapted, for example, for use with the liquid supply tube of a hydration pack extending between a valved mouthpiece and the pack borne fluid containment reservoir (or bladder).
The cover includes a first material layer having a reflective surface and a second material layer including an open cell foam (preferably lined), the layers being coextensive. Together, the first and second layers form a multi-ply insulator, the insulator being secured to itself at opposite edges to form an envelope having the reflective surface of the first material layer at the exterior thereof. The multi-ply tube receiving envelope thus formed has open ends, with the length between the open ends approximating the length of a hydration pack supply tube in the preferred embodiment of this invention.
The method of this invention utilized for insulating a hydration pack liquid supply tube includes the steps of forming a multi-ply tube receiving envelope having opposite open ends, ply""s of which are attached only at envelope forming seams. The hydration pack liquid supply tube is threaded through the envelope. Thereafter either a valved mouthpiece or a liquid reservoir is attached at one end of the tube.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an insulating cover and method for fluid conduits.
It is another object of this invention to provide an insulating cover and method for a liquid supply tube of a hydration pack.
It is still another object of this invention to provide insulating covers that are simple and inexpensive to produce, including material construction that is versatile across a range of structures and applications.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an insulating cover for use over a liquid supply tube that includes a first material layer having a reflective surface and a second material layer including an open cell foam and coextensive with the first material layer, the first and second material layers together forming a multi-ply insulator, the multi-ply insulator secured to itself at opposite edges to form a tube receiving envelope with the reflective surface of the first material layer at the exterior thereof.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a hydration pack liquid supply tube insulating cover including a multi-ply envelope having open ends, with a length between the open ends approximating hydration pack supply tube length, the multi-ply envelope including an outer layer having a reflective outwardly facing surface and an inner layer including a lined open cell foam.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a hydration pack liquid supply tube insulating method including the steps of forming a multi-ply tube receiving envelope having opposite open ends, ply""s of which are attached only at envelope forming seams, and threading a hydration pack liquid supply tube through the envelope and thereafter attaching one of a valved mouthpiece and a liquid reservoir to the tube.
With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent to one skilled in the art as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts and method substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention are meant to be included as come within the scope of the claims.